The last time we played at Tamworth was on 20th August 2011

Tamworth 1 Darlington 0 HT 0-0 att 977

Below par Darlington lost to a late penalty against Tamworth at the Lamb.

Quakers drew at league favourites Fleetwood in midweek, but they never reached the same level of performance.

Darlington couldn’t get into the game in the first half against a nippy home side.

However, Quakers had the first real chance of the game, when Kris Taylor scuffed his shot across the face of the goal, and Ryan Bowman, coming in unmarked at the far post, saw his sidefooted effort blocked on the line by keeper Jonathon Hedge.

After that, it was Tamworth who created the chances. Darlington keeper Sam Russell made a one handed save from Kyle Patterson, then Nabil Sharif’s effort was deflected on to the roof of the net.

Darlington manager Mark Cooper was sufficiently worried at that point to bring on sub Marc Bridge-Wilkinson for Bowman.

Quakers improved slightly in the second half, but didn’t pose much of a threat.

Tamworth nearly broke the deadlock when Patterson ran through and fired at Russell, then the unfortunate Patterson stopped a goalbound shot from Iyseden Christie on the six yard line.

After a header by sub Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was saved under the bar, Tamworth broke up the other end, and Patterson was upended by Ben Purkiss in the area and Christie slotted the penalty past the stranded Russell.  Christie nearly rubbed it in by hitting the post in stoppage time.

 Tamworth:

Hedge, Tait, Francis, Green, Barrow: Cain (sub J Smith 84), McDonald, Bradley, Patterson, Mills (sub Thomas 64), Shariff (sub Christie 58)

Subs: St Aimie, Collister

Darlington:

Russell, Purkiss, Lee, Miller, G Taylor, Atkinson, Chandler (sub McReady 61), K Taylor, Walshaw, Hatch (sub M Smith 70), Bowman (sub Bridge-Wilkinson 37).

Subs; Pocklington, Campbell

Referee: J Simpson (Lancashire)